Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways latest carriers to have US laptop ban lifted

Airlines join Emirates, Etihad and others in the region being exempted

Royal Jordanian has had the US laptop ban lifted, along with Kuwait Airways, joining other regional carriers to be exempted. Salah Malkawi : The National

Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways says passengers can take laptops and large electronic devices in the cabin on flights to the United States, the latest Middle East airlines to be exempted from a US ban.

Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways join Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airline who each announced last week a lifting of the ban.

In March, the US banned laptops and other large electronic devices on direct flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries - Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey - on security grounds.

Royal Jordanian, which flies to New York, Chicago and Detroit from Amman, Jordan, lifted the ban after new security measures were implemented for US-bound flights, the airline president Stefan Pichler said.

State-owned Kuwait Airways, which flies from Kuwait to New York via Ireland, said the ban was lifted after US officials inspected security measures on its flights.

US officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US announced on June 29 enhanced security measures for flights to the country, requiring additional time to screen passengers and electronic devices for possible explosives.

The new US measures, which take effect within three weeks of the announcement, will affect around 325,000 passengers a day travelling on 180 airlines from 280 airports around the world, according to the US department of homeland security.

Airlines that fail to meet the new security requirements could still face in-cabin restrictions on electronic devices.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has said it expects the ban to be lifted on flights from Jeddah and Riyadh by July 19.

Royal Air Maroc also believes it can have the ban lifted for flights out of Casablanca's Mohammed V International Airport by July 19, a senior official from the state-owned airline said.

State-owned EgyptAir has also been affected by the ban.

* Reuters